San Francisco and Santa Clara counties will soon be the next California counties to move towards the orange reopening, further easing restrictions for more businesses.
The changes in the orange layer are expected to take effect on Wednesday.
“San Francisco’s health indicators continue to improve with COVID-19 cases and hospital admissions steadily declining,” San Francisco’s COVID Command Center said in a statement.
Officials at COVID Command Center warned residents that while the decline in coronavirus cases is encouraging, variants remain a concern.
San Francisco continues to take health measures as it reopens. We align as much as possible with state guidelines, but will add specific precautions to minimize the risk of the virus spreading. Our approach continues to focus both on expanding outdoor activities as at possible as a safer environment than indoors, “officials said in a statement.
Meanwhile, a Santa Clara County spokesperson told NBC Bay Area on Sunday that their county posted orange rank numbers last week and if the numbers stay within that range through Tuesday, the county would move to the orange low on Wednesday.
In the orange tier, offices can reopen for personal work schedules of up to 25% capacity while retaining 25% capacity in conference and meeting rooms.
Other new rules include museums, zoos and aquariums that open within up to 50% capacity, can reopen cinemas for less than 50% or 200 people, and shopping centers can expand to 50% capacity.
When the move occurs, San Francisco and Santa Clara will join San Mateo as the second and third Bay Area counties to move to the orange tier.
All other Bay Area counties are currently in the red layer.